Voutilainen - the Watchmaker and the Manufacture
Throughout his life, Kari Voutilainen has followed the path which we’ve come to expect from noteworthy independent watchmakers - restoring antique pieces, learning by experimentation and creating commissions for established brands, before setting out on his own. He attended Kelloseppäkoulu, the Finnish watchmaking school located in Espoo, before attending WOSTEP, in Switzerland, in 1988.
Following graduation, he joined Parmigiani, one of the foremost restoration workshops in Switzerland, with a vast array of delicate and historic timepieces passing over its benches. He spent nine year there, where he learnt “everything they don’t teach you at watchmaking school,” Voutilainen recalls. While absorbing the long-lost techniques that were used to first assemble the vintage chronometers he was restoring, he also began working on his first watch, a one-minute tourbillon with twin barrels and a power reserve.
In 2002, following some time teaching at WOSTEP and creating commissions for larger brands, he established himself as an independent watchmaker, working under his own name. Since then, his work has been welcomed with great acclaim, on account of its unique aesthetic and quality. Every component in his watches, from the bridges to the smallest of screws, involves manual labour, from adjusting tolerances to polishing and angling. His efforts have been recognised with more than a half dozen awards the GPHG - the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève - the most prestigious award ceremony in the watch industry.
A Unique GMR
This Voutilainen GMR, which combines a GMT function and a retrograde power reserve indicator, unusually features a 38mm case. Whilst the vast majority of the watchmaker’s watches are housed in 39mm cases, the collector who initially commissioned this piece requested a smaller diameter, which subtly changes the entire appearance of the watch, and the experience of wearing it. The words “Unique Piece” can be found on the more refined edge of the caseback, proudly marking this watch’s unique characteristic.
The dial of this GMR is particularly striking, with a combination of dark-grey and rose-gold metal, in addition to a mesmerising guilloche pattern that curves around the dial from two different angles, reflecting the light differently and giving the dial a mixture of tones and fantastic depth alongside the various brushed and polished surfaces.
The dial is comprised of a mixture of applied oversize Roman numerals at 3, 6, and 12 o’clock and index markers. There is a GMT-disc at six o’clock, and the piece also has rose Breguet-style hands with blue accents, typical of Voutilainen’s style. The GMT indication is displayed on the disk situated at six o’clock, inside the printing of the small-seconds. The disc shows 24 hours, and the GMT function is almost concealed, owing to its exceptionally-precise and neat integration. The disc is advanced by pressing the crown, moving the disc forward by one hour with each engagement. The dial shows the power reserve indication underneath the 12 o'clock numeral, creating a symmetry between the "hand made" script beside the GMT disc.
The Movement
The combination of the GMT mechanism and "centre-stem" power-reserve, found in this piece, is entirely integrated within the Calibre 28. Crafted from German silver and titanium, the aesthetics of the movement are as impressive as the mechanics. One of the hallmarks of Kari Voutilainen’s manufacture is their superlative hand-finishing; with expert anglage and a mixture of polished, brushed and frosted surfaces.
The calibre features Voutilainen's direct impulse-escapement two large (13.6mm) escapement wheels and a free-sprung balance, with Breguet over-coil and Grossmann interior curve, a high degree of engineering ingenuity is accomplished. The exceptionally large, free-sprung balance beats at 2.5Hz, held in place by a long steel bridge with rounded arms.
The Set
This Voutilainen GMR comes with its outer box, inner wooden box, Certificate of Origin (confirming the watch as a unique piece, delivered in 2016), polishing cloth and manuals. The watch comes with a green suede strap, custom (short) bottle green alligator Jean Rousseau strap, both brown and black Voutilainen alligator straps and a white gold buckle.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Voutilainen GMR will be subject to 20% VAT.
